Fiji Times: NFP issues challenge

“The Bills are still before the committee, which has two rounds of public consultations and is yet to deliberate and finalise its report. Apart from usurping the role of the committee, Government is also pre-empting the recommendations of the committee. This is the unmistakable fact.

“If FijiFirst wanted to make submissions on what it preferred, it should have made submissions on the Bills to the committee. Once again the parliamentary process has been undermined.”

Dr Prasad said it was wrong to blame former prime minister Laisenia Qarase’s government for bungling an $85 million loan from Exim Bank of India.

Mr Bainimarama claimed this resulted in more than 50 per cent of it being wasted and 50 per cent used on failed upgrade works.

Prof Prasad said Mr Qarase had negotiated the loan in 2005 during his State visit to India, but most of the money was used by FSC under the stewardship of Mr Bainimarama’s military government.

This, he said, could be easily verified from the FSC’s annual reports. Questions sent to Mr Bainimarama remained answered when this edition went to press last night.